It's Time to Start Yoga

If you haven’t already started yoga, then team, this is your sign to start. Yoga is a powerful exercise, not only for your body but for your mind too! Taking part in regular yoga classes will help you to increase your flexibility, strength and overall fitness, and we’re here for it! 

 

But did you know that it’s just as beneficial for your mind? That’s right, starting yoga workouts can help to reduce your stress levels, straighten your stance and allow you to hold your concentration for that little bit longer. That’s exactly why it can be the ideal lunchtime activity and help you to avoid that “after lunch slump”.

 

 

What are the benefits of yoga?

 

There are many benefits that come with starting yoga, including physical and mental improvements. Some perks we’ve discovered are:

• Reduced stress
• Increased blood flow and therefore heart health 
• Decreased or removed symptoms of depression
• Reduced levels of chronic pain
• Improved sleep quality
• Encourages you to eat healthier

 

 

How many times per week should you do yoga?

 

Generally speaking yoga’s most effective when practised between 2 and 5 times per week. 

 

If you’re just a new starter to yoga  then why not start small by doing 2 sessions a week. You could try it online or you could even join a class and make some new yoga friends.  

 

As you get more confident and into a good routine then you should up your sessions to 4 or 5. This is when you’ll really start to reap the long term benefits of starting yoga.

 

 

What happens to your body when you start yoga?

 

Yoga is the ideal exercise for people with hectic schedules who tend to send their nervous system into overdrive. Although we spoke earlier about how starting yoga changes you physically, did you know that it can also improve your own body image? That’s right, starting regular yoga practice can give you one major confidence kick!  

 

“Yoga develops inner awareness. It focuses your attention on your body’s abilities at the present moment. It helps develop breath and strength of mind and body. It’s not about physical appearance.” - Harvard Health

 

This is exactly why most yoga studios don’t have any mirrors, if you hadn’t noticed this before then you’ll definitely notice now. This allows you to focus entirely on your practice and perfecting your yoga poses while forgetting about what you look like. 

 

Another exercise that goes hand in hand with starting yoga is breathing exercises. Perfecting this will help you enhance your flow, therefore many people practise their breathing techniques alongside the exercise.

 

 

Can you lose weight by starting yoga?

 

There are certain styles of yoga that’ll burn more calories than others. The more active styles, such as vinyasa, ashtanga and power, will see you burning higher calories and therefore losing weight or preventing weight gain. 

 

You can also expect to tone up and improve your overall fitness and metabolism while starting yoga. Building muscle and bettering your metabolism are sure to help you with your weight loss journey.  

 

As well as this, this way of exercising has been proven to put you in a positive headspace. This mental switch helps you to make healthier day-to-day choices and might just keep you away from too many visits to the biscuit tin!

 

 

Our favourite post-yoga smoothie recipe...

 

Trust us, it was hard to pick just one favourite post-yoga smoothie, but in the end the Purple Recovery Smoothie by Carolyn Gratzer Cope came out on top. 

 

This glass of purple heaven is both vegan and vibrant and is sure to leave you feeling refreshed and revived after that morning flow.  

 

All you need to do is throw the below ingredients into a blender, blitz until smooth and serve while it’s still extra cold.

 

1 small banana

¾ cup frozen blueberries 

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon raw cacao

½ teaspoon of maca 

¾ cup of cold water or any milk alternative you like - our favourite is almond!

 

 

What should you wear when starting yoga? 

 

Whether you’re a yoga teacher, regular or a yoga beginner it’s important you wear something you feel comfortable and confident in.  

 

Make sure to choose an outfit that makes you feel your best. Choose from full length leggings, ¾ length leggings, shorts, t-shirts, long sleeve tops or even a sportswear playsuit, whatever option offers you stretch and style. 

 

We might be biassed but we’d recommend picking up something from our Intensity by Jena Frumes collection. This range offers a wide variety of activewear pieces, in fashion-forward ribbed fabric, providing you with all the flexibility you need to start yoga. 

 

Pair our seamless leggings with our high neck crop tops. This set features classic Bo+Tee branding combined with a high neckline and supportive ribbed underband for a secure fit. Switch to our mini shorts for an activewear look that focuses on ease of movement.

 

 

For more styling tips check out our Style Guide with Amanda Par. As always, remember to tag us @boandtee and show us how you style your beginners yoga looks - you might even feature in our ‘Tagged in Bo+Tee’ story! Make sure you stay in the loop with our latest collections and be the first to know about new releases by downloading our app today.